Meekness is in no way the same as weakness. Meekness can be described as an inward attitude of humble, submissive, and expectant trust in God, and when expressed outwardly, comes forth in the form of gentleness in a loving and patient action toward others.
There are numerous examples of meekness exhibited in the Bible, but none so dramatic and perfectly expressed as the ministry of Jesus Christ (Matthew 11:29). Meekness is part of the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). Meekness cannot reside in a person void of humility.
Unfortunately, in today’s self-absorbed, self-reliant, and self-aggrandizing society, meekness is equated with weakness. We see too many examples of individuals feeling a need to boldly proclaim their position of righteousness in an attempt to elevate themselves above the masses.
I’m reminded of a story about Benjamin Franklin, one of our Founding Fathers: Franklin developed a set of disciplines that he hoped would enable him to attain moral perfection. He drew up a list of twelve virtues that he considered essential to achieving the good life. He ruled each page with seven lines. Daily he appraised and recorded his behavior. During a conversation, Franklin shared his profile of excellence with an old Quaker, who quietly informed him he had omitted the virtue of humility.
How often do we fall into the same trap? Not wanting to appear weak, we puff ourselves up in some fashion or another so we can appear strong in front of others. All the while we lose sight of where our true strength comes from. We become weak only when we rely on our own strength and do not allow the work of the Holy Spirit to work in us and through us.
Christ modeled humility for us, yet we are reticent to embrace such an attitude in our lives. The world still has too much of a draw on us and we place our position and titles above Him on a daily basis. Where we should be accepting of God’s will for our lives by humbling ourselves before our Creator, we instead wrestle control from Him and choose our own paths.
As I conducted a study on the quality of meekness, several verses came to mind that I wish to share:
Meekness is not just a desirable attitude, but one God expects His people to embrace (Zephaniah 2:3; Proverbs 16:19; 1 Peter 3:4). Several passages of Scripture remind us of His favor towards the meek (Psalm 37:11; Matthew 5:5; 1 Peter 5:5; Psalm 147:6; Isaiah 29:19; Zephaniah 3:11–12; James 4:6).
Paul wrote much on meekness and modeled such after his conversion, living out a life fully devoted to preaching Christ. His motto was “to live is Christ, to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). Consider these verses: Philippians 2:3; Romans 12:3; Ephesians 4:1-2; Colossians 3:12-13).
We see examples of meekness in many characters in the Bible, here are just a few: Moses was described in such a manner (Numbers 12:3). David, whom God chose by examining his heart, recognized his own errant ways in Psalm 51. He knew that his reconciliation with the Lord could only be accomplished by contrition (Psalm 51:17). Job, though all of his sufferings, understood his place before God (Job 1:21). Mary, the mother of Jesus, expressed her servant attitude upon hearing the angel’s message (Luke 1:38). In all of these examples, meekness is clearly not weakness.
Topical studies such as this are a wonderful way to study God’s Word. If you ever feel you are in a rut in your daily reading, pick out a topic such as this and explore what God has to say on the subject.
You will be richly blessed.
